title: Adjuvant therapy of pancreatic cancer: beyond gemcitabine. Highlights from the "2011 ASCO Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium". San Francisco, CA, USA. January 20-22, 2011.
abstract: There is no consensus on what constitutes "standard" adjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer. This controversy derives from several studies, each fraught with its own limitations. Standards of care also vary somewhat on the geography as chemo-radiotherapy followed by chemotherapy or vice versa is considered the optimal therapy in North America (GITSG, RTOG) while chemotherapy alone is the current standard in Europe (ESPAC-1, CONKO, ESPAC-3). The high rate of locoregional failure following surgical resection for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas has made it clear that some form of adjuvant therapy should be considered in these patients. A phase II study was presented at the 2011 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium to assess the effect of the addition of algenpantucel-L immunotherapy to standard adjuvant therapy on survival in patients with resected pancreas cancer (Abstract #236). The author reviews the abstract in the context of our previous knowledge.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and Pancreas Center, New York Presbyterian Hospital. New York, NY, USA. mws2138@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Muhammad Wasif
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Saif
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017024:Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003841:Deoxycytidine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000628:therapy; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000093542:Gemcitabine
chemical_list: C581566:Algenpantucel-L; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; D003841:Deoxycytidine; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil; D000093542:Gemcitabine